SUV Sightings

Saw a 2006 Hummer H2 SUT with 21-inch performance tires and chrome rims, near Del Paso Road and Natomas Boulevard in Natomas. I felt amused because I can understand the desire to show bling to impress others but the idea of putting performance tires on an off-road vehicle strikes me as humorous. And at the same time I react to it with some admiration of their honesty -- I wonder how many of the SUVs I pass each day have left the paved streets and highways of Sacramento.

A colleague from a former job shared he and his wife purchased their SUV in part for safety considerations during trips to Lake Tahoe during the winter. Since it doesn't snow here in Sacramento, I question how much bang for their buck that amounts to. Especially considering how vehicles often seem to get used for commuting and other single-occupant driving, rather than for the rugged niches sales and marketing folks seem to enjoy conjuring up and sharing during commercial television breaks.